Summary: Being meek is not what we thought it was!

This scripture is one of the most commonly misunderstood scriptures in all the Bible.

One of the common misunderstandings about Christianity from the outside world is that once we become a Christian, we are supposed to become mild, weak and unable to stand against oppression. Since the Christians message is about “peace,” it is automatically assumed that we will “lay down our weapons” and aren’t “gonna go to war no more.”

The term “meek” in the English language has become to mean, “enduring injury with patience and without resentment, mild, deficient in spirit and courage, submissive, not violent or strong, moderate.” (Merriam-Webster) While some elements of this definition fit what Jesus was commanding us to do, some of those elements do not fit.

The world, in its ideals, tends to reject Christianity because of the idea that Christians are weak, and “deficient in courage.”

A closer examination of the Greek word “praus,” translated “meek,” shows us that Jesus is teaching us a principle that shows that if we follow the true meaning of “meek,” the earth will belong to us.

Originally, the word translated meek did not include any concept of weakness, lack of courage, or fear. If you want to get an idea of what true meekness means in its original sense, and how it applies in English, you have to go back to the middle ages to a word that is associated with the knighthood. It is the word, “chivalry.”

Chivalry is the belief and practice of knights in the middle ages and even today. Chivalry was a code of ethics upheld by noble landholders and/or knights who were influenced by Christianity. The chivalric knight was loyal, courteous, protective, and gentle and honorable to all, including enemies. Knights sought love and glory, but not selfish love and glory; love and glory for his lady and king first. Knights were courageous, humble, obedient, and chaste. The three things that knights lived by: courage, honor, and fidelity.

The code of knighthood stressed loyalty to their

military leader, participation in wars, and courage. The church codes stressed protection, humility, and service to the weak and poor. Since knights devoted themselves to the Virgin Mary, this is probably where their worshipful attitudes toward women came about. Women were literally treated as queens by chivalric men. They were respectful, worshipful, and reverent toward women. A knight’s love for a lady was known as courtly love. To a knight, love and war was the ultimate sacrifice. Knights upheld their lady’s every "whim or desire", no matter what the cost, even if it meant death.

The French word “debonair” is a term that was used frequently in the description of knights. In its medieval meaning, it meant “gentle, courteous.”

The title of “gentlemen” was given to knights of old. The women of standing, who had shown themselves worthy of protection, were given the title of “ladies.”